House Report 115-930 - 9/11 MEMORIAL ACT

[House Report 115-930]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-930

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9/11 MEMORIAL ACT

_______

September 10, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______

Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted
the following

R E P O R T

[To accompany H.R. 6287]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 6287) to provide competitive grants for the
operation, security, and maintenance of certain memorials to
victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment
and recommend that the bill do pass.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 6287 is to provide competitive grants
for the operation, security, and maintenance of certain
memorials to victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The National 9/11 Memorial located in New York City
commemorates the attacks of September 11, 2001. The Memorial is
the principal tribute of remembrance and honor to the nearly
3,000 people killed in the terror attacks at the World Trade
Center site as well as the six people killed in the World Trade
Center bombing in February 1993.\1\ The 9/11 Memorial plaza
opened on September 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the
attacks. Since 2011, more than 37 million people have visited
the plaza.\2\ The Memorial plaza is located on the western side
of the former World Trade Center complex. The Memorial's twin
reflecting pools, each nearly an acre in size, sit within the
footprints where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of every
person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into
bronze panels edging the Memorial pools. Entrance to the
Memorial plaza is free and open to the public year-round.
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\1\``About the Memorial.'' National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
Accessed August 27, 2018. http://www.911memorial.org/about-memorial.
\2\``Year in Review: 2017 at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.'' National
September 11 Memorial & Museum. December 29, 2017. Accessed August 27,
2018. https://www.911memorial.org/blog/year-review-2017-911-memorial-
museum.
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The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is located at the
Pentagon in Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington,
D.C. This 2-acre Memorial commemorates the 184 lives lost in
the attack on the Pentagon--those on American Flight 77 and
those in the Pentagon itself.\3\ Each person is represented by
a cantilevered bench located over a small reflecting pool of
water. The benches are inscribed with the victim's name, age
and location at the time of the attack and are arranged by the
age of the victim.\4\ Visitation to the site is projected to
reach 3.5 million visitors annually, and a non-profit group is
raising funds for a visitor education center.\5\ Entrance to
the Memorial is free and open 365 days a year.\6\
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\3\https://pentagonmemorial.org/plan/faq.
\4\https://pentagonmemorial.org/explore/design-elements.
\5\https://pentagonmemorial.org/visitor-education-center-0/project-
information.
\6\https://pentagonmemorial.org/plan/faq.
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The third memorial to 9/11 victims is found near
Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the Flight 93 National Memorial.
There the 40 brave passengers and crew who perished on United
Airlines Flight 93 while thwarting a likely attack on the
Nation's capital are memorialized at the Memorial Plaza, a
white marble Wall of Names, a visitor center and the Flight
Pathway Walkway and Overlook.\7\ On September 9, 2018, the
Tower of Voices, containing 40 individual wind chimes (one for
each victim), was dedicated at the site.\8\ The Memorial is
operated by the National Park Service with the support of
several non-profit support groups, including the Friends of
Flight 93.\9\ Even with a more remote location that the other
two memorials, visitation at the site is growing, with a half
million visitors in 2016.\10\ The Flight 93 National Memorial
is open year round and admission is free.\11\
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\7\https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm.
\8\https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/tower-of-voices-
dedication.htm.
\9\https://www.nps.gov/flni/learn/news/upload/park_partners.pdf.
\10\http://www.tribdem.com/news/local_news/flight-national-
memorial-luring-growing-number-of-visitors/article_925c350a-461c-5a45-
bc72-d5d1ab37e735.html.
\11\https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/hours.htm; https://
www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm.
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H.R. 6287, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
award grants, through a competitive process, to tax-exempt,
nonprofit organizations for the operation and maintenance of
memorials located within the United States established to
commemorate the events of, and honor the victims of, the
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and
United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, at the site of
the attacks.
The House of Representatives considered a similar bill in
the 114th Congress, H.R. 3036. It passed the House under
suspension of the rules on February 9, 2016, by a 387-12 vote.

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 6287 was introduced on June 28, 2018, by Congressman
Thomas MacArthur (R-NJ). The bill was referred to the Committee
on Natural Resources. On September 5, 2018, the Natural
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were
offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, September 10, 2018.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6287, the 9/11
Memorial Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani
Shankaran.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure.

H.R. 6287--9/11 Memorial Act

Summary: H.R. 6287 would authorize the appropriation of $25
million a year through 2023 for the Department of the Interior
(DOI) to award grants to non-profit organizations for the
operation and maintenance of certain memorials to victims of
the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. CBO estimates that
implementing the bill would cost $100 million over the 2019-
2023 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.
Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6287 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 6287 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary effect of H.R. 6287 is shown in the following table.
The costs of the legislation fall within budget function 300
(natural resources and environment).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
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2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2019-2023
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INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Authorization Level............................ 0 25 25 25 25 25 125
Estimated Outlays.............................. 0 20 20 20 20 20 100
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Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the
legislation will be enacted in 2019 and that the authorized
amounts will be appropriated each year.
H.R. 6287 would direct DOI to award grants to non-profit
organizations whose missions focus on the operation and
preservation of memorials that commemorate the events of and
honor the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001, at the sites of the attacks. The bill would authorize the
appropriation of $25 million annually over the 2019-2023 period
for those purposes.
CBO estimates that a limited number of non-profit
organizations would be eligible to receive grants. Based on the
costs to operate the covered memorials in recent years, CBO
estimates that implementing H.R. 6287 would cost $20 million
annually and $100 million over the 2019-2023 period. That
amount includes costs for DOI to manage the grant applications
and awards.
Pay-As-You-Go considerations: None.
Increase in long-term direct spending and deficits: CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 6287 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2029.
Mandates: H.R. 6287 contains no intergovernmental or
private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Janani Shankaran,
Mandates: Zachary Byrum.
Estimate reviewed by: Kim P. Cawley, Chief, Natural and
Physical Resources Cost Estimates Unit; H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to provide competitive grants for the
operation, security, and maintenance of certain memorials to
victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.

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